Now that the court order preventing us from exercising our First Right is lifted

Meanwhile, back at the boat basin-- Free Speech is back in season Voignier, that is the nature of our commentary tonight, and after months of being kept from speaking freely with respect to current events, it feels good to "have one's say" again, if you will. It appears Merlot did say too much, in reporting Other Brotha Mike's role in a popular case involving a certain large public company, which no longer trades on any of the securities exchanges, if you will-- not in New York, and not even in Malta.

Needlesstosay, we were taken aback when our group of Boxed wine researchers were served, and drawn into court to face a Federal judge's gag order with respect to some of the behind the scenes information we were disclosing about trials in Texas, and so, we honored that judgment.

Our sponsors were not put off or put out in any why. Several were of the opinion that it was a good thing. One said: "you spend too much time writing that god damn online soap opera and that f@#king Ruth anyway, it's not what we pay you for Merlot", just before writing us a check for 6 figures to sustain or studies into the growing market for Boxed wines for two quarters. And our focus has turned away from the conflicts among those in our employ, and more to then nature of our market studies.

After our national tour ended in May, we returned to the boat basin, where we were delighted to find a whole new crop of boat folk, as we call them, ironically. Since we are tired, and need our rest to greet the 4am shift of researchers returning from The Upper West Side, with their samples of bottles and Wine Boxes, we shall take up the goings on at the Boat Basin later this week.

Otherwise notable this week is the follow quote regarding corks, by a leading French wine producer's man in America:

"You cannot imagine the complexity of sourcing corks internationally,"said Boisset, president of Boisset America.

Most wine priced under $30 a bottle is drunk within hours of purchase. It isn't cellared and so it doesn't require a cork to help with the aging process. For such bottles, the investment in corks is "costly and pointless."

Precisely! The man's point is well taken, and should be underlined with burned cork.